Truk

Truk, also known as Chuuk, is an atoll located in the Federated States of Micronesia's Caroline Islands, located to the east of New Guinea. Truk Lagoon had a reef that served as a natural barrier, and the Japanese made Truk their base in the South Pacific during World War II, having acquired the island from the German Empire during World War I in 1914. The Japanese built roads, trenches, bunkers, and caves across the island, fortifying it. Truk lagoon became the largest ship graveyard after the 16-17 February 1944 Battle of Truk, in which the US Navy sunk 15 Imperial Japanese Navy military vessels and 32 merchant ships. After the fall of nearby Eniwetok, Truk was isolated from the rest of the Japanese islands, and it surrendered to the Allied Powers in August 1945 after being bombarded by the British Royal Navy and the US Air Force.